IPS data shows downturn in visits and spend during Q3 2018

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International Passenger Survey IPS Data
International Passenger Survey IPS Data

The provisional International Passenger Data for Q3 2018 has shown a downturn in visits and spend compared to the record breaking Q3 in 2017. Spending fell across all journey purposes despite growth in holiday and visits, however it should be noted that spending during Q3 2017 was at all-time high.

OVERVIEW

  • 10.8 million visits were made to the UK from July to September 2018, down 3% from 2017 making it still the second highest Q3 ever recorded.
  • Visitor spend fell by 15% to reach £7.2 billion.
  • 88.0 million nights were spent in the UK by inbound visitors during Q3, down 13% from the previous year.

JOURNEY PURPOSE

  • Holiday visits grew by 1% compared to Q3 2017, just enough to set a new record at 4.8 million. Spending by holiday visitors however fell by 9% to £3.8 billion, although still the second highest Q3 for holiday spend.
  • Journeys to visit friends and relatives (VFR) dropped by 11% compared to Q3 2017, though still breaking 3 million visits for the 4th consecutive year at 3.1 million. VFR spending fell by 19% to £1.6 billion.
  • Business visits grew 6% in Q3 2018 to 2.1 million, however spending was down 10% to £1.1 billion.
  • Visits for miscellaneous purposes (including study) fell by 8% to 755,000, with spending down 34% to £631 million.

MARKET LEVEL

  • Visits from India grew 7% to set a new record at 175,000 visits during Q3 2018, while spending from this market increased by 26% to £171 million.
  • Romania, Spain and Sweden also performed well, with all three markets setting records for visit numbers. Romania and Sweden also set records for visitor spend.
  • Visits from the USA grew by 9%, however spending fell by 7%. China, Ireland and Belgium also experienced a drop in visitor spend despite growth (or no change) to visit numbers.
  • Visit numbers from the UAE and Australia were among the largest declines, down 20% and 15% respectively. Spending from these markets dropped 21% and 8% respectively.
  • Meanwhile spending by visitors from Switzerland, Belgium and Japan were among the largest declines, down 39%, 24% and 23% respectively.
  • Visits from Europe decreased by 3%, with spend falling by 7% to £3.1 billion.
  • Visits from the Rest of the World fell 9%, with spend falling by a considerable 26%.

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